Retractable firing anvil



Sept. 3, 1957 ,E A HUMPHREY 2,804,808

RETRACTABLE FIRING ANVIL.

3 SheesvSheet l Filed Oct. 2l, 1954 1N VEN TOR.

EdwmTd/HumFl-w HTTONE YS Sept 3, 1957 E. A. HUMPHREY 2,804,808

RETRACTABLE FIRING ANVIL Filed Oct. 21,. 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 li ...Q

HTTONE YS 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 JNVENTOR. Edwudfxumphre A TTOENEYS Sept. 3, 1957 E. A. HUMPHREY RETRACTABLE HRING ANvn.

med oct. 21, 1954 2,804,808 Patented Sept. 3, 1957 RETRACTABLE FIRIN G ANVIL Edward A. Humphrey, Springeld, Mass., assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army Application Uctober 21, 1954, Serial No. 463,838

3 Claims. (Cl. 89--135) (Granted under Title 35, U. S. Code (1952), sec. 266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalty thereon.

My invention relates to automatic revolver-type weapons and more particularly to a positively operable electrically-conductive firing device therefor.

The usual automatic revolver-type weapon comprises a recoil unit including a barrel, and a drum with cartridge chambers rotatably disposed on the recoil unit. An actuator for engaging the drum is biased to a battery position to selectively retain cartridges in a firing station in axial alignment with the barrel for electrical discharge of the cartridges therethrough. The actuator is slidably disposed with respect to the recoil unit for operation in rearward and forward strokes to sequentially rotate the chambers to the firing station responsive to the discharge.

Electric current is supplied to the firing circuit of the weapon from a grounded external source and the recoil unit is grounded through the receiver of the weapon. A firing switch is disposed between the receiver and the recoil unit and connected to the external source to control current to the firing circuit responsive to the movement of the actuator and a firing mechanism includes a firing pin connected in series with the ring switch and axially disposed in the recoil unit. A clutch incloses the ring pin and is coaxial therewith.

The clutch includes separate carriage and crank end portions in meshed relation with the carriage and inclosing a pair of adjacent flanges on the body and the tip. A spring is compressed between the flanges to bias the tip to a normal position of engagement with a cartridge in the firing station. The actuator and the recoil unit, respectively, include a cam and a slidable cross-head including a pin follower and the crank end is connected to the cross-head for rotation and counterrotation of the clutch, respectively, responsive to the rearward and forward strokes of the actuator.

A cam device is disposed between the recoil unit and the carriage portion for rearward movement thereof to retract the tip responsive to the rotation. The spring returns the tip to the normal position thereof and the carriage end to the corresponding position.

Such spring-operated devices have proven unsatisfactory in armament application, particularly for rapid tire weapons and it is an object of my invention to provide such a weapon with a tiring device including a ring pin positively operable both rearwardly and forwardly.

Another object of my invention is to provide a tiring device for such a weapon including a firing pin mechanically operable in both the rearward and forward directions responsive to operation of the actuator of the weapon.

Other aims and objects of my invention will appear from the following explanation thereof.

In carrying out my invention a clutch similar to the one described above is disposed for similar rotation in the recoil unit of a revolver-type automatic weapon.

The carriage end of the clutch is constructed to inclose the flanges of both parts of the tiring pin and the surface of the carriage end is provided with a .helical groove engageable with a pin fixed in the recoil unit for rearward and forward operation respectively responsive to the rotation and counterrotation.

Thus, the firing pin is positively operated from and to a normal position for electrical contact with the firing station cartridge.

A spring is compressed between the anges to cornpensate for tolerances in dimension between the forward position of the carriage end and the primer of a cartridge chambered in the firing station.

For a more complete understanding of my invention, reference is made to the following explanation and the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a partially sectioned elevation of a weapon incorporating my invention with the tiring pin in firing position;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. l with the tip in retracted position;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevation of the tiring pin assembly with the firing pin in the tiring position;

Fig. 4 is a view along line 4-4 of Fig'. l;

Fig. 5 is aview along line 5-5 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is an exploded view of the ring pin mechanism.

Accordingly, an automatic weapon 12 includes a receiver 14 with a recoil unit 16 and an actuator 18 slidably disposed thereon. Recoil unit 16 includes a pedestal 2t) and a cartridge drum 22 is rotatable on a shaft 24 journaled in pedestal 20.

Drum 22 is provided with cartridge chambers and corresponding radially axised index rollers, such as chamber 26 and roller 28. Actuator 18 is biased to a battery position for engagement of the straight portion of a groove 29 therein with roller 2S to retain chamber 26 in the six oclock tiring station thereof, as shown in Fig. l. A cartridge 30 appears in chamber 26 with an aperture 32 in the base thereof, and a primer 33 recessed in the aperture.

A :tiring pin assembly 34 includes a cylindrical anvil 36 secured in pedestal 20 by a set screw 381 and a front plate 40 secured by press flt in anvil 36. Plate 40 includes a locating tab 42. A firing pin tip 44 and body 46 of electrically conductive material having adjacent anges 47, extend through separate carriage and crank ends 48 and 50, respectively, of a clutch 52 rotably disposed in pedestal 20 in axial alignment with chamber 26. Ends 48 and 58 areA provided with meshing teeth for simultaneous rotation. Flanges 47 are inclosed in end 48 for operation of the tiring pin therewith and a spring 53 is compressed between the flanges. A cap 51 is secured to carriage end 48 for assembly of the ring pin and spring 53 therein and tip 44 and body 46 are insulated by covers S5 and 57 of insulating material bonded thereto.

Actuator 18 and a cross-head 56 laterally slidable in recoil unit 16 are respectively provided with a groove 54 and a follower pin 58 for engagement therewith. A plate 60 ysecures cross-head 56 in recoil unit 16. A link 62 yoked to cross-head 56 is secured to a portion of crank end 50 projecting from pedestal 20 by engaging polygonal surfaces secured by a set screw 64. A xed locating pin 66 and a groove 68 for engagement therewith are respectively provided in recoil unit 16 and carriage end 48. Grooves S4 and 68 are respectively constructed for rotation and counterrotation of clutch 52 for rearward and forward operation of carriage end 48 respectively responsive to the rearward and forward travel of actuator 18. As shown in Fig. l, body 46 is connected to contacts 72 of a switch 70 provided for connection to an external electrical source. Contacts 72 and a blade 74 of the switch are respectively disposed on recoil unit 16 and actuator 18 for engagement to close the switch in the battery position of actuator 18.

such variations.

I claim:

1. In an electrically-fired automatic weapon including arecoil unit, a drum disposed thereon having cartridge chambers and a firing station therefor, an insulated ring Vpin in the recoil unit disposed in a firing position for electrical contact with the primer of a cartridge chambered in 'the firing station, and an actuator biased to a battery position to selectively retain the chambers in the ring station for discharge of cartridges therein and disposed for recip- 'rocal operation responsive to the discharge to rotate the selected chambers from the firing station responsive to a portion'of the recoil operation, a-ring device comprising a clutch disposed in the recoil unit and provided with an axially slidable carriage end for engagement with the ring pin including a peripheral helical groove, a locating pin for engagement therewith disposed in the recoil unit and a body end in meshed relation with said carriage end for rotation therewith to positively displace the ring pin from and to the ring position responsive to the remain- 2. In an electrically-fired automatic Weapon including a recoil unit, a drum disposed thereon having cartridge chambers and a firing station' therefor, an insulated ring pin in the recoil unit disposed in a ring position for electrical contact with the primer `of a cartridge chambered in the ring station, and an actuator biased to a battery position to selectively retain the chambers in the firing station for discharge of cartridges therein and disposed for reciprocal operation responsive to the discharge to rotate the selective chambers from the tiring station responsive to a portion of the recoil operation, a tiring device comprising a clutchl in the recoil unit provided With a carriage end engaging'the ring pin for positive displacement thereof from and to the firing position re- Y sponsiveV to the remaining portion ofthe operation.

3. A firing device as described in claim 2 with said clutch provided with a member disposed to engage the actuator. f V- References Cited inthe le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 800,663 Meigs et al.k Oct. 3, 1905 812,431 Meigs et al Feb. 13, 1906 1,087,219 Dawson et al Feb. 17, 17914 FOREIGN PATENTS i Y 863,614A Germany Jan. 19, 1953 

